Romi Bhinder, the Rajasthan Royals team manager, is at the centre of a huge storm after the official was seen using a mobile phone inside the team dugout during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 20026 fixture against the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) on Friday at the Barsapara Stadium in Guwahati. During the Rajasthan Royals’ batting innings, the cameras captured Bhinder inside the dugout with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi sitting beside him.
The pictures of both Sooryavanshi and Bhinder peeking at the phone have gone viral. Many are wondering why Bhinder has not been charged for breaching the official guidelines. It is worth noting that, according to the official rules and regulations on the IPL website, team managers are allowed to use mobile phones in the dressing room but not in the dugout.
On Sunday, Devajit Saikia, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary, confirmed to Hindustan Times Digital that the authorities are closely investigating the incident and will take action if Bhinder is found guilty of any wrongdoing.
The BCCI top official also confirmed that the team managers and doctors can use mobile phones and it is still being verified whether the phones were actually used beyond the designated area on the venue. Saikia also said that action would be taken only when there is proof of violations.
“First of all, I would like to say that having the mobile with him is permissible under the regulations because he is the manager. So, managers and doctors are allowed to carry a mobile in the PMOA,” Saikia told Hindustan Times Digital on Sunday.
“That is number one. Second, whether he has violated any protocol or regulations under our existing IPL rules and regulations. We are trying to verify it, and we have started the process,” he added.
‘Exercise started’
The BCCI secretary also confirmed that the authorities have already begun examining the footage, and action will be taken once the formalities are completed and sufficient proof of wrongdoing is available. If there is no wrongdoing, Bhinder would be able to go about his business, as team managers can use mobile phones, albeit inside the dressing room.
“So, if anything is found to be negative, we will take action. Otherwise, having the mobile with him, there is no violation of any other regulations. That is my stand at the first stage. But we are trying to find out whether he is carrying the mobile in the designated area or beyond that. That we are trying to find out. The exercise has already started,” said Saikia.
Earlier, former IPL commissioner Lalit Modi had reacted to the video, urging the IPL governing council to take immediate action against Bhinder. “Having a MOBILE PHONE IN THE DUGOUT – is a COMPLETELY A NO NO. Did this really happen. I hope not. If it did. Then @IPL governing council needs to take IMMEDIATE ACTION,” Modi wrote in a X post.
The Rajasthan Royals are slated to face the Sunrisers Hyderabad on Monday, and Bhinder once again is expected to be a key figure on the ground. It remains to be seen whether the team manager is spotted in the dugout amid the fallout from the recent RCB match.
Bhinder has held multiple positions in the Rajasthan Royals backroom since the start of the IPL in 2008. He is also 15-year-old Sooryavanshi’s ‘guardian’ for the ongoing season of the T20 tournament.
